REXBURG—The community will celebrate the historic 250th anniversary of American Independence with more fun events, including a Russell Dickerson concert on Friday.
Rexburg always celebrates Independence Day with a bang including the traditional Main Street Mile run, Independence Day parade, Party in the Park and fireworks at night. This year will see even more celebrations.
“I think it's extra fun because it's 250 years and I feel like there's just a different kind of excitement in the community and celebrating the 4th of July as a whole,” said Brittany Ericksen, one of the parade directors for the Independence Day parade.
Independence Day celebration events start on Friday with “Party in the Park” hosted by the Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce and Rexburg Farmers Market. This free family-friendly event will be held at Porter Park from 3 to 7 p.m. This year will include a display of 250 U.S. flags. There will also be food trucks, inflatables, local vendors, games and live entertainment.
This historic year will feature the multi-platinum country artist Russell Dickerson. His concert will be on Friday at the Madison High School Bobcat Stadium. The gates open at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at Rexburg.org. There will be a drone and firework finale after the show.
Saturday morning the Main Street Mile starts at 9:45 a.m. at Mountain American Credit Union. Participants can check in at the parking lot at 8:45 a.m. Runners get a free 4th of July pass to Rexburg Rapids with every entry. Register at RexburgRaces.com, same day registration is allowed.
The Independence Day Parade starts at 10 a.m. This year’s special theme is “Red, White, and True Blue-250 years of Freedom.”
This year has 105 floats, which is more than usual.
“I'm really excited to see what people are going to do and the creativity they're going to show,” Ericksen said.
The parade starts on Madison Ave. and 1st North and finishes on 4th South & 2nd West.
“Typically, if you go, you're going to see someone you know, and I think it's always fun to support, especially the youth participating,” Ericksen said. “And I also think that just being patriotic and celebrating the 4th is fun.”
Ericksen recommends the community arrive at 8:30 a.m. to find a spot to set up their chair on the sidewalk. The public is reminded of the Rexburg City ordinance requiring no chairs or blankets to be set up before 6 p.m. on July 3. For safety reasons, stand behind the chalk lines on the street for the parade.
Catch the fireworks Saturday night at 10 p.m. at Riverside Park and Teton Lakes Golf Course.
To learn more about the events, go to Rexburg.org or follow City of Rexburg on social media.